LONDON — The husband of Eva Rausing, one of Britain’s richest women, has been arrested on suspicion of murder in the death of his wife, even though no cause of death has been established, police said Friday.

The body of 48-year-old Eva was found Monday at the couple’s London home. The Metropolitan Police say detectives are treating the death as “unexplained,” and Hans Kristian Rausing has not been charged.

However, Detective Inspector Sharon Marman told a preliminary inquest hearing Friday that “Mr. Rausing … has been arrested on suspicion of her murder.”

He is receiving medical treatment and has not yet been questioned by detectives.

[np-related]

Hans Kristian Rausing a member of one of Europe’s richest families

Hans Kristian Rausing, who was being questioned in the wake of his wife’s death this week, is a member of one of Europe’s richest families — a fortune built on the Tetra Pak, maker of a better milk carton.

His Swedish grandfather, Ruben, began producing milk cartons in 1952, and in 1963 gave the world a flat-topped carton that can be packed and shipped like bricks. The development revolutionized the packaging and distribution of milk and fruit juices worldwide.

Ruben’s sons — Hans and Gad — took over the business when he retired and built the company into an empire. Hans, father of Hans Kristian, later sold his share of the business to Gad for 4.5 billion pounds ($7 billion).

The Rausing family is known for its sizable donations to charity, by some reports giving more than 150 million pounds away over the past few years. The senior Hans Rausing has also made headlines for his large donations to Britain’s Conservative Party.

Hans Kristian and his wife had been well-known charitable donors and his sisters — Sigrid and Lisbet — also are heavily involved in philanthropy.

Sigrid — who owns and publishes Granta magazine — has won awards for her human rights work and created a trust to support human rights.

Lisbet, a historian and researcher, has taught at Harvard and is a cofounder of Arcadia, a grant-making fund to protect endangered nature.

The Associated Press

Marman said a post-mortem examination had failed to establish the cause of Eva’s death and police were awaiting the results of further tests. It was unclear how long that might take.

Hans Kristian is an heir to the Tetra Pak drinks-carton fortune. He and his U.S.-born wife lived in a luxury townhouse in a leafy London square, donated millions to addiction charities and had a long history of drug use.

The couple have four children, all under 18.

Before Hans Kristian was arrested on drug charges Monday, he may have been living with his wife’s dead body for days. It’s one of several aspects of Eva’s last days British police are investigating as news of the millionaire’s death continues to shock in the U.K.

For all their wealth, Hans Kristian and his American wife, who first met at a U.S. drugs rehab clinic in the early 1990s, could not shake off their problems with addiction.

Photographs of the Rausings arm in arm and smiling at society parties, and one of a laughing Eva in a bright pink dress and sunglasses with her blond hair tousled, appeared in the British newspapers after her death was announced.

In a poignant juxtaposition, a more recent snapshot showed a gaunt and frowning Eva, while another showed her husband hunched forward and scruffily dressed. Both look older than their age.

The troubled philanthropist was found dead in her $110-million London home Monday, though investigators suspect she may have died several days earlier.

The Rausings ran in most rarefied of social circles of British society. Among their acquaintances was Prince Charles, whom they knew through his charities. The heir to the British thrown said he was “saddened” by the news of Eva’s death.

Eva’s death was met with an outpouring of emotion from charities to which she had donated millions of pounds over the years, including many involved in the fight against drugs.

He described her as engaging and conscientious in her work as a trustee of the charity, whose patron is the Duchess of Cambridge, wife of second in line to the throne, Prince William. Barton said he had never noticed signs of Eva’s own problem with addiction, but said that was not surprising.

“I think sometimes, some people who suffer from the condition get tarred with a particular brush and we forget that they are human beings with talents and intelligence and generosity, much like other people but who just suffer from a particular condition,” he said.

Four years ago, Eva was stopped on her way into a reception at the heavily protected U.S. Embassy. In her bag, along with heroin and a banned stimulant, was crack cocaine, the “ghetto drug” normally associated with the poorest of addicts.

More drugs, including cocaine, were found in her car and at the Cadogan Place house. Charges were dropped and she issued a contrite statement promising to seek help and saying “I consider myself to have taken a wrong turn in the course of my life.”

Rausing was reportedly due to enter rehab just weeks after the tragic end to a life marked by both extravagant wealth and drug abuse.

“This has been an existing problem for a long time,” friend Liz Brewer told Sky News.

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.